<Second replies below> -----Original Message----- From: Mark Evans [mailto:mpe@st-peters-high.devon.sch.uk] Sent: 05 May 2003 19:02 To: Bruce Miller Cc: Suse-Linux-Uk-Schools Subject: Re: [suse-linux-uk-schools] Free school administration software - project has started On Mon, May 05, 2003 at 09:53:18AM +0100, Bruce Miller wrote:
On this idea of 'Me Too':
The whole Capita / SIMS juggernaut is not something that anyone could easily push off the road, I would have thought.
It depends who's doing the pushing. Individual schools probably not, LEAs maybe. < My experience is that it would be the LEA's who will be the hardest people to change >
Now,
http://www.phpbuilder.com/columns/alberto20000919.php3
is an article that says Linux and PHP could be used to interface with the current SIMS database of MS SQL (which I believe they use).
Still requires a "No Thankyou" SQL server. Especially considering the hacks which appear to be involved in making the data backupable. < Don't know about the need to hack into MS SQL unfortunately. My meagre experience is only with PHP and MySQL which seems to work well. Disappointing if this is the case.>
This way, creating a Web based set-up that could run from any computer, Win or Lin ((Mac or Acorn (?)) could be created.
In terms of skilling, human resources, change-over costs and change-over risks, the adoption of third party bolt-ons is a concept that could have a more eager uptake.
What's to prevent an LEA or CES themselves saying that a third party "bolt on" results in void "support"? < This could possibly be a problem.>
This would make for manageable small projects that could be achievably produced by groups of keen teachers and also by student project too(!) - Don't know about you lot, but every year my A'level students struggle to find projects and the exam boards seem to love database interfacing as a topic.
You don't intend letting your students at the real data, since there are DPA issues involved. < I think I had the use of dummy files in mind on this one, and a separate SQL server> Bruce.